


Negotiation

by pulchramors



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, I guess???, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Manipulation, Threats, Violent Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:49:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25306276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pulchramors/pseuds/pulchramors
Summary: A few snippets from the first few months of Shido's and Akechi's partnership.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	Negotiation

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Shido is in this fic. Mentions of drinking (Shido, no underage and no intoxication), violent thoughts (Akechi towards Shido) and Akechi's terrible childhood tm  
> I kinda made a tumblr -more like dug up an old side blog- where I have been rambling the last few days. Feel free to come scream at me (and read my rambling) there if you want! : https://pleasant-boi.tumblr.com/
> 
> Sorry if there are any mistakes, English isn't my native (and I'm still on painkillers). If you spot any let me know! (>.<;;)

Shido hummed, taking a sip of his drink. Akechi was doing his best not to fidget. It had been just over two months since he... started working with Shido for the first time, but he still wasn't entirely used to _this_. He didn't think he would ever, to be entirely honest. 

"Well done Akechi." Shido put his glass down. "You're _actually_ doing your damn job." he scoffed and Akechi inwardly cringed, trying his best to maintain a blank expression. The foster family he was stuck that month - though judging from their reactions, they would probably kick him out before it was over - had found some cash he had hidden and they were on his ass about it -after taking it away from themselves of course- They didn't even let him go to school for a few days after they weren't satisfied with his explanation, keeping him locked in the glorified storage closet he slept in, thinking he was selling drugs or something. Well, the truth was _worse_ than that, but he couldn't exactly tell them that it was part of a payment for killing someone with a weird magic power from his fucking piece of shit of a father of all people. 

They didn't believe the part-time excuse, though it was _technically speaking_ the truth. 

"I'm terribly sorry, sir. There-" he paused, trying to find the way to word this without sounding stupid. "Th- _um_ -" _fuck, he stuttered_ and Shido tapped his fingers impatiently on the desk, only making the anxious feeling in Akechi's stomach worse.

" _Well_? I don't have all day." Akechi took a breath.

"I'm sure you are aware of my... _situation_. I have run into some problems and I-I've been unable to go out and complete your request these past few days." Shido just stared at him, making him nervous. Well, more nervous than he already was. He shot him a practiced, reassuring smile." Don't worry sir.I've managed to sneak out to take care of it - I'll try not to have any delays again." Shido set his glass down.

"This is awfully inconvenient." Akechi forced out a laugh.

"There can be some delays, but I assure you - the targets _will_ be eliminated."

 _"This isn't the first time this happened._ " Akechi couldn't help but look away for a second. Shido wasn't wrong - it was already hard trying to balance everything and having to disappear for some hours every so often didn't help. Time was hard to keep track of in the metaverse too, so he didn't know exactly how long until he made it out - if at all, though he absolutely refused to die by some demon now that Shido was _finally_ in front of him. The missing curfews were a bit of a pain, but at least that family was the yelling and then locking him up instead of the beating the shit out of him kind. _For now at least.  
_

"I can do better. It won't-it won't happen again. " He knew he sounded desperate but he was _finally, finally_ \- _Calm down_. "Sir." He added after a small pause.

"You _better_ be right." he calmly took another sip. "Your power _is useful,_ but maybe you need a reminder that any hitman is _disposable_." Akechi had personally disposed of Shido's previous... _Associate_. No need for loose ends after all and yet another demand to prove his _'loyalty'._ The Palace of that man still made his stomach turn. 

"Of course sir. I know that much." he smiled.

"Good. I'll contact you when you're needed."

* * *

Akechi spend the next two weeks practically glued to his phone, anxiously waiting for a call or a text or email. Not much else he could do anyway. Every time his phone buzzed he felt like having a heart attack. He supposed it wasn't _that_ unusual - Shido usually contacted him once a week so far and well, if there wasn't anything for him to do, there was no reason to be contacted. Now that he was sent back to a group home he had more time to explore the metaverse on his own too. Perhaps it was a good thing he wasn't contacted yet.

It still made his stomach turn and raised a bubbling anxious feeling on his stomach, getting stronger and stronger each day that passed with no contact.

It was embarrassing how the text notification made him jump and just how loudly his heart starting beating when he saw it was from a blocked number.

_Just a time and date and a 'try not to be late' but it still made him let out a relieved breath he didn't realize he was holding._

* * *

" _Tch_. Cover that... _thing_ up next time. _And I told you to start wearing gloves._ The last thing we need is you leaving your prints all over somewhere there shouldn't be. Do you actually want to get me into another scandal?" Akechi gritted his teeth behind his smile, trying not to lose it and tell the man off.

"After working so hard to eliminate the ones behind the previous one? Of course not sir." He took the pair of gloves out of his pocket, slipping them on. They looked out of place with his second-hand school uniform, but that wasn't the reason he avoided wearing them. He actually liked the feeling - _a lot and he thought it looked kind of cool. It was intriguing how such a small detail could almost change his whole image-_ even if he started wearing them with Shido's suggestion. Just because it was _that man's_ suggestion though, a part of himself absolutely refused to go through with it all the time. "A momentary oversight."

"Try not to forget it again." Shido said and Akechi nodded in reply, listening intently as Shido started to talk about some research on cognitive psience. It wasn't going to be an ordinary job either - there was apparently something they wanted to try out with him that could possibly further his powers. All that cognition stuff, even if he was the one experiencing it, didn't make that much sense and he had begun sneaking books from the library on _anything_ remotely connected so he wouldn't sound stupid. Akechi wasn't really thrilled with the idea either, but refusing to try out would just raise suspicions. So he just smiled and agreed.

"But really, do cover up this shit up next time you come here." Shido said as Akechi turned to leave, making him freeze in his tracks. Akechi knew he was referring to the slightly swollen bruise on his cheek and purposefully chose to ignore it before. He turned back around, trying not to show the wave of nervousness threatening to completely take over.

"Make-up, sir? I'm afraid that would put an _even bigger_ target on my back." he shrugged. "It's just a bruise anyway. Nothing serious enough to be concerned with." Shido frowned slightly.

"Well, it's your choice I suppose. You could always fight back and-" Akechi couldn't help but let out a laugh at that, even if it clearly annoyed the man.

"Sorry sir-" he said, letting out a last small chuckle. "-but you're really out of the loop when it comes to that stuff, aren't you? I'm not a child anymore. It's _laughably_ easy to send a teenager to juvenile detention, let alone someone with _my_ background." His face twisted into a smile without realizing, thinking of all the foster families, institution workers and directors he killed in the metaverse, the way their shadows _begged_ at their final moments, of their faces in the real world contorted in pain, oozing black as their corpses were carried away. "Besides, with this power, _they get what they **deserve** in the end." _

"You really are ruthless." Shido chuckled

"Considering the nature of our _partnership_ , it's only natural, is it not? I'm just getting rid of the trash of society who waste away, trying to boost their fragile little egos, leeching of government funds in the pretense of _taking care_ of children." Akechi replied as Shido turned around to pour himself a drink.

"Never said it was a bad thing. This country and its people have gone to shit. They're too soft and comfortable, trying to cheat money of the government without any drive or ambition, while not working a day in their miserable little lives. The current administration is like that too - just a bunch of old people too wrapped up in their own greed to do anything meaningful, only caring about how to embezzle money to make themselves richer." He turned towards Akechi with a grin on his face. "This country _needs_ more ruthless people to lead it to greatness."

Akechi tried to ignore the swelling in his chest and contain the excited smile that crept up. Honestly, he didn't give a _shit_ about this, all that talk about ' _the greater good of the country'_ was thinly-veiled fascist bullshit that _piece of shit_ used to justify his actions. _But still_ \- Drive? Ambition? _Oh, sure he had plenty of those. And no matter how **good** it felt to finally be recognized, it wasn't **enough** to fill the angry pit in his stomach._

"That's why I approached you after all. I'm looking forward to the day when you finally lead this country to its former glory." he hummed, using the perfect, pleasant tone he'd been practicing for years.

**_Because I am going to be right there beside you to gut you like the pig you are._ **

* * *

The next target had too many details and even if Akechi was always good at memorizing stuff, he was getting anxious he couldn't really keep everything in mind for this particular job. A researcher, expert on cognition, who is refusing to hand over her research or work with them, so he was going to _'take care'_ of her while they took her research. He had to do it with his ' _new power'_ and within a very specific time frame. That was going to be hard. He couldn't exactly have total control over his schedule.

Shido eventually finished up talking _-that prick really loved the sound of his own_ _voice and he had a fucking train to catch_ \- and Akechi gave him a pleasant smile.

"Will that be all for today?" Shido's expression was unreadable.

" _Not quite,"_ he said, opening the top drawer of his desk, getting something from the inside. "Catch."

Akechi didn't really do well with things thrown his way but he somehow managed to catch the small object flung his way with both - _gloved this time-_ hands. He stared at it - a small ring with two keys? He shot Shido a puzzled look.

"Do not get this wrong - _this is an investment. _Your... _job_ is only to get more challenging from now on and it's going to be an inconvenience if any _further delays_ happen. _ **Don** ' **t** **disappoint** **me**._" Akechi looked dumbfounded at him, feeling something rise up - _bile or swelling he couldn't tell-_ in his throat. "Any paperwork is already taken care of and there's a car waiting for you downstairs. If you need to get anything from your current...lodging, tell the driver to take you there first."

Akechi quickly bowed, trying to get his expression under control. He took a small breath before raising his head.

" _I-"_ he cleared his throat, feeling his voice weirdly hoarse for a second. _"Thank you, sir. I won't dis-"_

"You know, for someone so smart you're awful at negotiating." Shido cut him off with a chuckle. "I suppose it can't be helped - no real room for negotiating when you're always at the **_disadvantage_**. " he did a small pause. "You're still a kid too. So, let me give you some advice. _Be_ _greedy_."

The way Shido looked at him made his head spin. _Greedy_? He already had gotten more than everyone ever thought he would. He was in a decent enough, for someone like him at least, school. He hadn't killed himself or end up in prison _yet_. He had honest to god - _or demon or whatever otherworldly thing gave them to him-_ literal fucking magic powers. He was _going to_ get Shido - _his_ _father-_ to recognize everything, make him reach the height of his power just to make his fall even worse, to _finally_ get revenge. _What else was there?_

 _  
_"Tell me Akechi-" Shido continued. _"What do you want?_ "

Akechi just continued staring at him for a moment, nails digging hard into his palm under the gloves, making the material creak, hands clenching involuntarily into fists without even realizing it, heart beating so loudly he felt like there was no way Shido wasn't able to hear it, even from behind his desk, so loudly it felt like it was going to bust a hole and jump out of his ribcage.

"I-" he swallowed, feeling his throat dry.

**_I want you to pay for everything, you fucking piece of trash._ **

"I want... I want better schooling. There's no doubt in my mind I can pass any dumb scholarship exam, but most schools _won't even look at someone like me._ I want to rub how much fucking _**better** I am than everyone_ who thought _I'd be lucky_ to even get into high school, even if I had better grades than everyone with second-hand, taped together textbooks."

**_I want you to get on your knees and beg for her forgiveness, even if she can't hear you anymore._ **

"I want better things than every entitled brat who took their pathetic frustrations out on me. I want them to regret all the bullshit they spewed about me all these years."

**_I want you to watch as Loki rips your stomach apart and chews on your fucking entrails until you can only spew up blood._ **

"I want people-" _**you**_ "-to _see_ me. To recognize me. _**To fucking worship the very ground I walk upon."**_

_**I want you to offer me everything, anything in your power, and then even more than that and then throw it away like garbage like you did with her. Like you did with me.** _

Akechi didn't even realize he had started laughing until he was slightly out of breath. He quickly composed himself, giving Shido, who was staring at him intently as if examining him, what was supposed to be a perfectly pleasant, practiced smile, but couldn't help but twist into a sadistic smirk.

"But I am getting ahead of my self, aren't I?"

Shido let out a small chuckle, expression twisting to mirror his own. Akechi felt cold sweat running down his back as Shido got up and extended his hand to him.

_"I'll see what I can do."_

**Author's Note:**

> I mean, Shido is still a fucking ass, but I guess he was like, at least 50% less than usual here so- 
> 
> Fics where Shido is always 100% openly an asshole towards Akechi, are great in their own way, but to be honest, thinking about their interactions on canon and Shido's manipulation that probably wasn't the case in my opinion. I tried to convey here a Shido who is 100% a manipulative asshole sure, but also does a somewhat decent thing for Akechi when he didn't really have to, which of course also serves his motives, otherwise he wouldn't even consider it. Also, an Akechi who REALLY hates Shido and the world but still can't help but feel somewhat fuzzy inside at their interactions without even realizing it sometimes. Also feral evil bby!Akechi rights!!!  
> My writing isn't that great so hope I kind of conveyed that!
> 
> Thanks for reading! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ Hope you liked it! Feel free to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.


End file.
